


and they were roommates

by vouloirs



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-22 20:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18141602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vouloirs/pseuds/vouloirs
Summary: oh my god they were roommates | carol & maria going through usaf training together





	1. you know i'm such a fool for you

Her eyes fly open just a second before her alarm starts going, hand slamming down on the clock to hush the sound. Gotta hustle to the shower and hit the gym before the others — wait. Is that water running? Christ. It’s five on the dot. Does she  _ have _ to be such a damn overachiever? Carol huffs out a low breath and pushes into the bathroom, one sluggish arm reaching for her toothbrush. Good thing she doesn’t care much for locking doors. She swirls a mouthful of water around and spits directly at the drain staring up at her from the sink.

 

“C’mon Rambeau, get outta there. You’re gonna make us  _ both _ late.”

 

She wasn’t, not by a long shot, but Carol had waited enough. And yet, she startled at the harsh sound of the shower curtain being pulled back sharply, the steam billowing out the only thing obscuring Maria as she reached out for her towel. She shook her head and bowed her gaze to the ground. “It’s about time,” she grumbled, stepping into the still-warm shower and tossing her pajamas out.

 

The water felt good. Clean, and the pressure demanding just enough of her attention that she didn’t have to think about all  _ that _ . God. Why couldn’t they just have let her room with someone else? Literally anyone else would be better. She scrubbed at her face with the heels of her palms. Don’t be distracted, she chanted in her head, you’ve got one shot at this.  _ One _ . Don’t fuck it up for some girl getting on your nerves. 

 

Sticking a hand out, she grabbed blindly for her towel and dabbed herself down, pulling on her uniform. Good, the sky’s still dark. Carol jogged towards the gym, pulling her hair up into a quick ponytail as she swung the door open. She stepped onto the treadmill next to where Maria’d parked herself maybe ten minutes ago with a tight smile. “Early start to the morning, huh?”

 

Maria smirked as they kept pace with each other. “I’m not the enemy, Danvers. No matter what you think now.” She reached a finger out to pump up the speed of her treadmill, running in long lithe strides.  _ Stay focused, Danvers. Remember the goal _ . Carol rolled her eyes at the obvious dare to keep up, choosing instead to keep running at the same pace. It almost felt like she was doing laps around the park at home again, feet pounding against the asphalt and nothing on her mind except the feeling of wind blowing through her hair. Just that white-hot focus on the goal — get into the academy. Get into a plane. Keep pushing, keep going.  _ Harder, further, faster _ .

 

And the path had been simple, so far. It was always easy to tune out the static of men who said she was never enough for her dreams, to tune out those who had stood in her way. Until now. Maybe it was because Maria reminded her so much of herself — driven,  _ more than _ competent, and so insufferably cocksure. It was infuriating and so unbearably attractive at the same time. It would’ve been so much easier if they didn’t have to compete. If Maria wasn’t that beautiful. If there was just some more fucking distance between them. But this is the way things had shaken out, and there was nothing she could do about it now. 

 

She hopped off the treadmill, bending and stretching out her legs. She pushed the stray hairs out of her eyes, her gaze somehow magnetically drawn to the extended column of Maria’s neck as she drank deeply from her water bottle. The brunette set the bottle down and caught Carol’s eye, smiling wickedly as she raised an eyebrow.

 

“What’cha staring at, Danvers?” 

 

She turned abruptly, cheeks burning as she marched faux-purposefully towards the hanging sandbag. Sliding on her gloves, she sank a fist into the heavy bag.  _ Ah, that good pain _ . So much better than dealing with  _ cocky, flirty, Maria _ . She punctuated each of the last three words with a punch and opened her eyes with a deep sigh, only to be greeted by Maria’s cheeky smile as she  faced Carol, holding onto the sandbag. “I  **swear** I’m going to kill you. Today, tomorrow, the day of our first flight — I don’t know when, but I’ll do it.” 

 

Maria laughed. “Alright, twinkletoes. But you gotta catch me first.” She shoved the bag into Carol’s waiting hands. “Race you to breakfast, yeah?” 

 

Carol took off running, barely stopping to grab her bottle and towel off the shelf. She passed Maria in the hallway with a triumphant shout, barrelling full-speed into the canteen. Standing at the entrance, she leaned against the cool metal doorframe to blow a kiss at Maria’s rapidly approaching form. “You sure you need breakfast after eating my dust?” A forceful elbow to her ribs pushed out the rest of her triumphant laughter prematurely, as they both walked towards the food.

Carol grabbed a bowl of cereal and a banana, carrying her tray to the table where Maria was already seated. The brunette stuck out a hand as she approached. “Truce?” She clasped the outstretched hand and shook it, a look of faux-resignation on her face. “Yeah, whatever. Together we could probably run circles ‘round the rest of these clowns.”

 

Maria smirked, shaking her head. “Ever so proud, Carol Danvers. Can’t you just admit you  _ like _ me instead of making up some excuse?”


	2. let's be alone together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> carol realizes she's being an idiot

She thought that was all there was to it. A little friendly competition, pushing each other’s buttons, then moving on to real training and leaving all this behind. For all their jibing, she never… she never really expected Maria to want more than getting under her skin. Carol shook her head, brushing the loose curls away from her eyes. What the  _ hell _ was she sticking around for?

 

This is where you thank your parents for what they left you, I guess. A firm belief that you would never become anything great. A fear of anyone you trusted with your heart to spit on it and leave you. What an inheritance, right? She pressed her eyelids shut and forced herself to breathe.  No use making a damn fool of yourself, Carol. This  _ thing _ with Maria doesn’t have to mean anything. You’re both here for the same damn thing. To be the best. To show these boys you’ve got something they never will. You don’t need to be friends, be  _ anything _ to each other to do that.

 

Swinging her legs over the side of her bunk, she pushed herself up and headed towards the door. Nothing else cuts through the voices in your head quite as well as the burn of over-exertion. She yanked the door open, internally plotting a course straight to the race track but — there she was. In the damn way as always, and with a smile on her face too.

 

“Carol! I was just coming to look for you.”

 

“What for?” She grumbled in response. “Y’know, just because we’re the  **only** two girls in this unit doesn’t mean we have to do everything together.”

 

“I —” The hurt was more than visible in her eyes, and Carol felt a pang of guilt. “I thought we were  _ friends _ . Not just hanging out because we had to.” 

 

Carol shrugged weakly, keeping her gaze low to the floor.  _ Christ _ it felt bad, but she couldn’t afford it. Couldn’t afford to get all caught up in Maria. Couldn’t afford to let her in, in case she brought everything else crashing down around her on her way out. 

 

“I’ll see you around, Rambeau.” It’s an empty declaration, but that’s all she can muster for now. She turns on her heels and starts running, keeping the one-two count in her head as her feet hit the pavement. The trees skim past the edge of her vision as she rounds the corner to the track and for a few minutes, her mind is blissfully empty.

 

_ One _ . Friends? Is she serious?

_ Two _ . Since  **when** does anyone wanna be friends?

_ One _ . Especially in a place like this.

_ Two _ . But the way her face crumpled just now..

_ One _ . There’s no way that was a trick.

_ Two _ . God. 

_ One _ .

_ Two _ .

_ One.  _ That means  **she’s** the asshole this time.

 

She stops short on the track, only to have a guy almost barrel straight into her, swearing profusely.

 

“Fuck off, there’s a whole damn track and you choose to run right behind me? That’s on you.”

 

Carol stalks back in towards the showers, a mix of anger and frustration rippling through her. Five minutes and a fresh set of clothes later, the pit in her stomach has  _ somewhat _ settled. She knows what she has to do. It’s not even close to making up for what she said, but.. It’s a start.

 

She makes her way back to their shared room, knocking gently before pushing the door open. Maria’s sprawled out on her bunk, headphones plugged in and blasting some indistinct flavor of rock music. She takes a couple steps toward her, an awkward smile pressed through tight lips. She gestures at the headphones, mouthing “Can we talk?” It would be completely acceptable for Maria to say no. For her to flip the bird at Carol and turn around so they don’t have to make any more awkward eye contact. But Maria, saint that she is, chooses to push off the headphones and hear her out.

 

“Listen, Maria — I’m.. I’m  **sorry** .” Her head is bowed, and for the first time she’s in no hurry to brush the mess of hair out of her face. “I was  _ mean _ and  _ stupid _ and that was so uncalled for I —”

 

Maria cuts her off, patting the spot beside her on the bed and gesturing for Carol to sit. “Wanna tell me why you freaked out in me like that?”

 

“No..?” She lets out a little nervous laugh. But Maria has given her a  _ gift _ , a chance to not push her away like she has with everyone else around her. So she sighs, and begins.

 

“Look, I had it rough as a kid, okay? My father was.. A piece of  _ work _ , let’s call it that. Nothing I did was ever good enough. Family’s a rough thing for me. And after all that, it was tough trying to fit in with the kids at school.” She smiled sadly. “I don’t think about it all that much. It’s behind me, yeah? Time to make my own path. I just.. I think I got too used to the idea that I had to be  _ alone _ to do it.”

 

Maria’s eyes softened, looking impossibly warm as she reached out to squeeze Carol’s hand gently. "You don't  _have to_ any more. I'm not just gonna up and leave you, Carol."

 

She sucked in a staggering breath, flinching a little at the foreign feeling of a soft touch. “This..  _ you _ spooked me. I couldn’t figure out what your deal was, what you wanted from me. That’s why I was so damn  _ stupid _ earlier. Couldn’t believe you genuinely wanted to be around me.” The smile lifting her lips is a bit stronger this time. “Guess I don’t have to be alone anymore.”

 

Maria laughs, leaning over to wrap her arms around the blonde. “No, you  _ dumbass _ . We can carve this path out together  **and** make the boys eat our dust at the same time. I'm here to stay.” 

 

Carol hides the tears welling up in her eyes as she presses her face into Maria’s chest, pulling herself deeper into the embrace. “Sounds good to me.”


End file.
